The Pratt Institute and Clemson University have each launched fellowships within their design and architecture schools focused on students from underserved or underrepresented communities.

The Pratt Institute’s initiative, titled the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Fellowship program, will focus on students from underserved communities whose work concentrates on issues related to climate change. The fellowship will be awarded to two students for the first year of graduate study at Pratt; one in the School of Architecture and one in the School of Design.

The fellows will be selected based on their portfolios of work addressing the impacts and challenges of climate change. A call for applicants will be issued in the spring, with selections announced prior to the beginning of each fellowship year. The program will focus on students in groups and communities that are often underrepresented in design and architecture, in order to “elevate diverse voices in the field” and “empower people of all backgrounds to propose and create solutions for the far-reaching effects on the planet caused by climate change,” the institute says.

Meanwhile, the Clemson University School of Architecture has announced the creation of the Thomas Phifer Fellowship, which will support tuition for two graduate students for two years from underserved and underrepresented communities in an “effort to increase access and broaden a more diverse pathway within the profession of architecture in South Carolina.”

In addition to supporting tuition payments, the scholarship will also commit to mentoring and training the selected students in the studio of Thomas Phifer and Partners. “By opening new opportunities to underserved and underrepresented communities, we strengthen the diversity of voices in our lives, offering the promise of a more inclusive, open and welcoming architecture,” Phifer said upon the fellowship’s unveiling.

The creation of the fellowships by both institutions follows similar moves by others in the USA to support equality and diversity in architectural education. In July of last year, Penn State Architecture appointed Folayemi “Fo” Wilson as their first associate dean for access and equity. Meanwhile, July of last year saw the Architects Foundation award four scholarships to support future leaders in equity, diversity, and sustainability and sustainability in the architecture profession.

The move also comes amid increased scrutiny of biases and inequalities in the profession. Last December, the AIA released a report in collaboration with the University of California which explored the impacts of bias in architecture, while a joint NOMA/NCARB report from September focused on disparities in architectural licensing examinations for people of color and older candidates. The NOMA/NCARB report was followed two months later by the launch of ARE scholarships for aspiring Black architects by the Architects Foundation.

You can learn more about fellowship opportunities across architectural education in the United States through our dedicated Archinect Fellowship Watch, as well as our extensive Fellowship features coverage.